Inulin - Dietary Fiber

The inulin we use is a natural food ingredients extracted from the chicory root. Studies have demonstrated exciting nutritional benefits in the area of improved digestive health.

Inulin is a  dietary fiber. Like all dietary fibers, they are not digested in the stomach or small intestine. However, because they are completely fermented in the colon, they contribute to better digestive track function, improve regularity and reduce constipation.

Dietary fiber is the part of a plant that is resistant to the body's digestive enzymes. Only a relatively small amount of fiber is digested or metabolized in the stomach or intestines. Most of it moves completely through the gastrointestinal tract undigested.

Although most fiber is not digested, it delivers several important health benefits. First, fiber retains water, helping to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. A high-fiber diet also reduces the risk of colon cancer, perhaps by speeding the rate of passage through the intestine and by keeping the digestive tract clean. In addition, fiber binds with certain substances that would normally result in the production of cholesterol, and eliminates these substances from the body. In this way, a high-fiber diet helps lower blood cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Inulin is major constituent of some of the most famous of the "old-standby" herbs, such as burdock root, dandelion root, elecampane root, chicory root, and the Chinese herb codonopsis. Botanically, inulin is a storage food in the plants of the Composite family. It is not digested or absorbed, however, (except perhaps in mico-amounts) and such effects are not observed with oral use.

Recent research has shown an important physiological action for inulin (Gibson, Roberfroid). Like some pectins and fructooligosaccharides, inulin is a preferred food for the lactobacilli in the intestine and can improve the balance of friendly bacteria in the bowel.  Recent animal research also shows that inulin prevents precancerous changes in the colon (Reddy, 1997).

As the average age of the population increases, and as each one of us becomes older, we need to take a closer look at how we take care of our internal calcium balance. Inulin allows us to make the best use of the calcium present in our daily diet.

Because inulin is not digested in the stomach or in the small intestine, they have no effect on blood glucose levels. They are therefore suitable for diabetics.

The non-digestibility of inulin forms the basis of their reduced caloric contribution to the human system compared to their monosaccharide moieties. This makes them very popular as fat and sugar replacers in calorie reduced foods.